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So now we have developed a strategy that makes our pipeline a reliable source of opportunity. This is a great start, and it is time to be cautious. From this point on, every action our team makes will determine if there is going to be a close. All to often, a good opportunity is lost because we do not pay attention to specific situations, or we are too casual about or planning, and WE LOSE.

How do we prevent this from happening? Simple, provide value. Value is not just fitting the need of the customer. It is not only being in the right place, with the right product at the right time. Again, if this was the case, sales would not be an art (I assume if you are reading this, you fell as I do that sales is an art form, not a job). If this were the case, you would not need talent to win more often than you lose. I truly believe that if you develop a great plan, you can coach a team into a winning percentage greater that 50% of their opportunities. This only works if you forecast the right opportunities. There are several important areas to consider when working with a worthy and viable opportunity.

1. Fit to the need. Have you presented value to the qualified needs of all the influential and decision making contacts? If not, start over. Without a strong value proposition, tailored to fit the organization you are engaging, you are leaving too much to chance.

2. Relationship. Do they trust you? Without a strong relationship, and a feeling that you have their interests in place, people have trouble buying from you.

3. Personality. Of utmost importance is developing an open and strong connection. Sales people that make it to the top of the stack ranks, often get e-mails of gratitude, unless their manager gets it first. At my first start-up, one of my team members had dozens of these e-mails forwarded to me. People warned me that if that person left the company, we may lose the business.

4. Professionalism. This is a tough one. It does not just reflect the sales rep. Every person in service, pre-sales, accounting, and any other role that may touch or expose themselves to the contacts within your potential client, has to uphold an air of responsibility. This is the critical period for an opportunity, and if anyone let’s them down, it can harm the sale. As a sales team, we can only salvage so much. If other departments are failing, work with your peers to improve the internal mechanisms.

5. Knowledge. Both about the company you are working with and the company you are working for. It is detrimental for the sales rep. the leader of the opportunity to be surprised by a contact they are trying to work with; especially if the surprise is within their own company.

If you consider these factors when planning to move towards a close, it is hard to fail. When firing on all cylinders, the only thing you are up against is another team with an equal product and strategy.

Let us look at some things to avoid:

1. Phone calls/e-mails without objectives. NEVER “Just check in.” NEVER Leave a “Next step” voicemail. ALWAYS Have multiple objective and plans for moving the sale forward.

2. Stumble or Lie about an objection. Objections should be valued. If you are truly working an opportunity, then the contact thinks their objective is important. Do not downplay it! First, respond only to those you can speak on confidently. If you do not know, THEN YOU DO NOT KNOW. Go find out and then respond. I am a big fan of the Felt, Find, Feel, school of approaching objections. If they are not the first person to feel that way, then they are not wrong for having that feeling. If you can show them that their objection was a good thought, but you have a way to overcome it. YOU ARE BUILDING TRUST.

3. Closing to interest without presenting value. SLOW YOUR REPS DOWN AND DO IT NOW! We are so anxious, all of us in sales, that we tend to lose sales by trying to close them prematurely. It works sometime, and more often in low value sales, but overall we could all use a little restraint in our closing. I am not saying that one should not close hard, and we will discuss that more in the next post. What I am saying, is that if you want to close hard, you have to provide true value first. IF YOU LEAD WITH VALUE, FROM KNOWN NEEDS, OPPORTUNITIES CLOSE THEMSELVES.

Often in my past I was called a soft closer, which in reality is the farthest thing from the truth. When I have truly had the chance to deliver on the previously stated points, I close and I CLOSE HARD. I demand the sales out of respect for the work I have done. My accusers in the past always thought I built too much rapport before closing a deal. Most of the opportunities I converted to customers over the dozen years I sold, are still loyal to those brands. That is value, both ways.

About Karl Goldfield

In the new global community, there are advantages and challenges never before fathomed by the entrepreneur. The modern day startup is faced with new concepts in financing, new challenges in competitive landscapes, and real time needs and abilities. What is consistent and will always remain so, is that… more